Air India hires research agency for image-building

Debt-ridden Air India is doing all it can to improve its image and turn around its fortune.

It is reportedly hiring an agency to undertake a marketing research on customer behaviour pattern which leads to the decision of selecting an airline for travel.

The research, which is planned to be done on a continuous basis for two years, could be extended for another year, said a senior airline executive. Apart from Mumbai, the study will also include metros such as Delhi, Chennai, Kolkata, Bangalore and Hyderabad.

The national carrier which has been facing losses for the past several years has a debt of over Rs45,000 crore. It has been promised Rs30,000 crore by the Centre over the next few years for its revival.

“We are taking all efforts to bring professionalism into the airline so that we can take the competitors head-on. Understanding the passenger behaviour over a longer period of time is an important aspect of it,” said an airline executive.

According to the airline insiders, this is one among the several steps being taken by Air India to run it like other private-run airlines. One of the important decisions which the airline recently took is to sell and lease back the new Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft which will be soon be inducted in its fleet.